I know that I have started other blogs the exact same way BUT, it has been a really long time since I have updated the blog and SO much has happened since April! This summer we moved. Within the same neighborhood - actually just 2 streets over from our old house - but a move just the same. We were so excited to be able to stay in our neighborhood which we love so much. We have so many good friends here and just couldn't imagine leaving. We actually had not been looking to move at the time, but God put the perfect house and the perfect situation right in our path so we couldn't pass up the blessing.
The best part about our new home is that it has an extra bedroom and larger bedrooms for our family which is much needed considered we will have 5 children living here shortly! Oh, how we are anxious for our little girl to come home from China. We still do not know who "she" is, but we are secure in knowing that the Lord does and in the perfect timing we will know. It has definitely become more difficult to wait the closer we get to bringing her home. Even though we may not yet have the referral for her, have a picture of her, etc. we know that since we are adopting a little girl that is at least 2 years old (between 2-5 yrs), she is out there and living in an orphanage somewhere in China and in need of her family. I lay in bed many many nights unable to fall asleep as I think about her laying in a stark, possibly hard, cold and comfortless crib by herself. If she is cold, uncomfortable, not feeling well or wakes from a bad dream there may not be anyone available to comfort her or wipe away her tears as she whimpers in the night. I just want so badly to scoop her up and kiss her cheeks and be able to tell her that she will never be without comfort again. I want to be able to tell her that I love her so much and always will. I want to be able to tell her how we prayed for her everyday while we were waiting on her to come home and how I know there were a host of angels watching over her and all the babies around her because we had requested that God keep them posted on watch for her. I KNOW he answers our prayers and I have every reason to believe that this request would be no different - I believe this is a prayer that He would not hesitate to answer. There is nothing more precious to him than orphans...the broken hearted and lonely. Those without a family. He wants all of these children adopted into a family full of love. When we answer that calling He is faithful to step in and watch over all those involved in bringing that precious one home.
So our move made it so that we were required to update our home study. That included an updated child abuse clearance, fire inspection on our new home, financial update, new personal reference and a few other misc. documents.
We sent all the new info in a then get back to the business of waiting. We had anticipated that we would have had a referral (a file on a child that we would then either decide was to be our daughter or not based on the medical and other info contained in her file) by now and it has been hard to be patient. We certainly have plenty to keep us busy, but we are so anxious to bring our other little girl home to join our family. We are excited for Gabby to have a big sister to play with and grow up with as well. At the time we originally set about the task of an international adoption of a little girl we did not even know that Gabrielle would be added to our family. It's amazing now - and frankly we can't imagine it any other way - to think of the two sisters growing up together and we can hardly believe how wonderful we know that reality will be for both girls.
Well, here we are having just celebrated Christmas a few days ago and the fact that we do not have our little "china girl" here with us weighs heavy on my heart. We truly believed that she would be here by the end of the year. I am in constant contact with our agency who has also been anticipating a referral for us any day.
This was a blessed Christmas for our family, however, as we were able to celebrate once again with Gabby's birth mom and her two children. They joined the rest of our family on Christmas Eve...what a blessing it was. I am so happy for Gabby that she can be so surrounded by love!
I want that so much for our little girl from China, too. While we will most likely never know her birth family she will always know what love it took for them to see her safely to an orphanage and eventually a family that would cherish her.
It's hard to believe that just a year ago we still weren't not clear if we were going to continue forward with our Chinese adoption. Having had our file on hold after bringing Gabrielle home in Feb. 2012 it took us a full year to decide if we should still adopt from China. It was during that time that God was working on us and helping us to see clearly that we do indeed have another daughter out there.
I feel that God is really doing something big right now in regards to our little girl. I don't know what it is, but something is happening. I was woken up last night around four in the morning with a desperate need to pray for our daughter in China (who we already refer to as Lily). I knew that I needed to pray protection over her and I also prayed for her comfort and peace. Only today did I learn that Derek also woke up near the same time feeling the same need to pray for Lily. That was God!
If you have been following our adoption journey please take a minute to say a prayer for our family and for Lily. I feel certain that she needs our prayers right now and I know our family certainly does. While we are anxious and want to bring her home as soon as possible, we also know that this is not going to be easy. Bringing her home will mean a big change in our family and the way we do things - right away and then as we move forward in our new "normal". We know God has all the details worked out because we were made for a day such as this - we just need the strength and wisdom to follow His plan and know which steps to take.
Thank you all so much for your continued support!
Scriptures that come to mind as we are in this season:
"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14, NIV)
'O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139)
And one of my personal favorite scriptures: Jeremiah 29:11- "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
God Bless!
